Ethridge Old Order Amish Settlement (Ethridge, Tennessee, USA)

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The Lawrence County Old Order Amish settlement was begun by settlers who came to Ethridge, Lawrence County, Tennessee in January 1944. First settlers were Jacob P. Gingerich, Joe E. Yoder, and Dan M. Yoder from Lumberton, Mississippi. Others from Wayne County, Ohio joined the group in the fall of 1944. A congregation was started with Joseph F. Zook as the first preacher. Dan M. Yoder and Levi J. Hostetler have since been ordained preachers. Levi J. Swartzendruber of Wayne County, Ohio, had bishop oversight of the two congregations here, which in 1954 had 84 members. -- Sam E. Yoder

Ethridge, Tennessee is located in Lawrence County, 65 mi. (105 km.) south of Nashville. The Ethridge community began in 1944 with families moving from the now extinct Amish settlement at Lumberton, Mississippi (Luthy, Amish, (1986), 234-237). The community has experienced steady growth. In 1986 it had five church districts (congregations) with a population of about 750. The Ethridge Amish are primarily farmers but they also engage in lumber-milling and furniture-making. In 1987 Tennessee had four Amish settlements with the largest concentration at Ethridge. This community of over 40 years has served as the parent congregation for several new settlements in Kentucky and Tennessee. -- Samuel L. Yoder